Fayetteville NC

My wife and I recently started our first flock together. We both grew up raising chickens and other farm animals. The memories of the farm life are something we felt needed to be passed on to our children. Mary and I had been discussing it for a couple of years when I surprised her on Feb 13th with some RIR's, which were and are her favorites. They were six little gals, only about a week old when I brought them home and put them in a quickly assembled brooder. As of today, they are around three weeks old and my children and I are training them.

RIR's are often considered skittish. To overcome that I am teaching my children as mom taught me all those years ago. We get a fresh glass of water and dip our fingers into it and then the food. (Wash hands before and after). We then hold our finger in the brooder and the chicks come running to eat the crumbs. It gets them used to your hands and the movement. Within a day or two a few will run to your hand every time you reach into the brooder. Within a week, one can just put their hand into the brooder and a bird will hop on for what my daughters call, "Upsies." At three weeks old, they take turns getting onto my hand and being lifted up to sit on my lap. Sometimes two or three will jump up onto my arm and hand. They let me carry them around the house without complaining in the least. When I sit in the chair near the brooder, they jump/fly up to the edge of the brooder and then onto my knee. Yes, they are pets with benifits to us. Fresh eggs and lots of entertainment.

The only member of the family that had a hard to accepting the little gals was the yellow lab. She shook uncontrollably trying to fight her natural instincts to go after them the first two days. We used slow and controlled exposue for a few days until she was able to relax around them. She now has no problem with them and accepts them as part of the family. Just a couple of days ago she slept next to the brooder, which isn't covered.

The coop is well under way and should be complete by Friday. Depending on the temps, we will consider moving them outside since we will have a heat source for them. The coop and run will allow each gal a little over ten square feet per bird, which will sufice for now.We will build them a moveable tractor for protected free range time in the backyard later in the spring. We have a lot of hawks and eagles that cruise the neighborhood.

A sincere thank you is due to all the posters and the site creator for the refresher course in raising chickens.